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simple, curved, reasonable price

Diving weights are used to counteract the buoyancy of your body and equipment when diving. If you think about it, most people float a bit in water. If you add a wetsuit or a drysuit into the mix you float even more. To get yourself underwater you need to add lots of weight until you are around neutral. This can take a bit of experiment and practice to find the correct amount and will depend on various factors such as your weight, fat to muscle ratio, diving experience and personal preference. Some people like to use a bit too much weight so they have to use some air in their jacket to gain a neutral position)

Diving weights are pretty standard items although there are a few variations which can help with comfort.I used to have some weights made by another manufacturer which were solid square blocks. When work on a weight belt I found that they left bruises around my hips from bashing against the bones in my hips.

Best divers weights incorporate a curve into larger sizes of weights which mean they fit to your body better and for me mean less bruising.

The weights have two slots created in them which enable you The weights are avaiable in the 0.5, 1, 2 and 2.5kg sizes and your preferred weight can be made up by using different combinations on the same belt. I dive with 2kg in the pool with no wetsuit, 6 in a shorty wetsuit, 8 in a full length and 12 in my drysuit. For the drysuit I do find it hard to fit 5 weights onto one belt but have managed by layering them. This isn't the best solution and I am seriously considering getting a weight harness when i have some spare money.

The weights are made from lead due to it's water resistant properties. I guess there is a risk of lead poisoning if you were to grind them down and swallow them, but that's not something I am going to be doing so am not particularly worried.

My weights have a yellow plastic coating over the lead (unlike the picture here) which means they are highly visible and another diver could spot and remove them quickly in an emergency.

The weights can easily slide around on a weight belt which can be uncomfortable and cause a shift to your position underwater. Lots of retaining clips are available and it is highly advisable to purchase some of these to keep the weights in one position.

I bought these from a localish dive shop (amphibian sports in West Norwood - highly recommended) and believe I paid about £6 per kilo. Online prices are quoted as:

½ kg - £5.42 1 kg - £6.98 2 kg - £11.66 2.5 kg - £15.56

You are basically paying for a block of lead so the prices are about right and don't seem to vary a lot.

I can't fault these weights other than that it is difficult to get a lot onto a single belt. The curve on them is very desirable as I no longer suffer (as much) from bruised hips after diving. Simple and reasonably priced I would definitley recommend them.

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Good quality weighting brand for use with weigh belts

I have been away for a few weeks on a diver's course in Croatia and am back and going to be reviewing some of the kit that I used out there. Every diver, no matter what your weight (within reason!) will need to use a weight system to stay under the water and these weights made by Best Divers are some of the more commonly used systems.

Why Weight?

Additional weight is needed by people when diving because the human body contains a certain amount of air in its system that creates a 'positive buoyancy' and keeps you from being able to stay underwater for prolonged periods of time. The type of wet/dry suit you might wear will also change your bodies' buoyancy settings and as such weights such as Best Diver weights have to be added to a diver in order to create some negative buoyancy and keep them underwater.

Adding Weight

There are two options for adding weight whilst diving, via a weight belt or a weight integrated BC (Buoyancy compensator). The former is the most widely used and popular choice. To attach the weights to your body you must purchase a weight belt to hold your weights (sold separate to these) usually made of nylon and with a safety clasp on for easy weight ditching.

Best Divers Weights

The weights are very simple to look at, they are not fancy or coloured because thy simply do not need to be. This is a specialist sport and the weight is probably the most basic piece of kit you will need to use. The weights are made of lead which is what gives them their silver/grey appearance. They are different shapes dependant on the weight amount that they are carrying.

The only writing on the weights is the weight value, in large clear letters that is embossed onto the weight itself so you can quickly and easily identify the weight that you need. Or alternatively if you have too little/much weight on your dive you can add/remove them in order to reach your comfortable neutral buoyancy (this is the capacity for a diver to neither sink nor float when underwater

The Best Diver weights are available in four weights sizes and are accurate & true weights:

½ kg - £5.421 kg - £6.982 kg - £11.662.5 kg - £15.56

The weights have two slots through them which are where you attach and feel them through a weight belt. This is very simple to do and allows you to spread the weights around the belt trying different areas and sittings round your waist so that they do not all end up on your back, which would make things even more uncomfortable! Ideally the weights should be distributed evenly and near the front of your hips, you already have the weight of your tank on your back. The weights have a very long life span.

A general rule of thumb when choosing how much weight to wear when diving is to use 10 % of your body weight. However everybody is different and your weighting and buoyancy in the water can be totally different to what you might expect. So the more experienced you get at diving you will know how much weight works best for you!

These are really basic yet important pieces of kit to enable you to have a comfortable and easy dive. They are available online and also in specialist diving shops. Or you can always stick lots of rocks in your pockets!